Nutcracker



Dec. 410, 1940.. G, TQNN NU'rcRAcKER Filed April 29, 193s @ary/e Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE 2,224,415 NurCItAoKEn.

George J. Tonn, Elmhurst, Ill. Application April 29, 1938, Serial No. 204,927

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to nutcrackers and the like. It has particular reference to a device which has a limited and controllable movement.

With many varieties of lnutcrackers the closing jaws are directly connected to the operating handle, and aresolresisted by the whole nut, that when the nut yields, the continuing applied pressure is too great for the resistance of the cracked nut.' This results in crushing the meat in the nut. In some types of devices the sudden yielding ofthe jaws .may catch the ngers or the hand to pinch or injure the same.

The object of the invention is to produce a de- 15 vice which has clamping jaws actuated with limited motion, which may be repeated to give a step-by-step advance.

A further object of the invention is to provide clamping jaws which are urged toward closed 20 position so as to clamp a nut merely to position and hold it for the cracking pressure, and to provide means to actuate the cracking jaws with one or more short advances to crack the nut.

Various other and ancillary objects and advan- 25 tages of the invention will appear from the following description and explanation of the invention in its presently preferred embodiment, shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents the device holding a nut,

30 ready to be cracked.

Fig. 2 represents the device after several stepmovements from the position shown in Fig. 1, the jaw being engaged to be moved.

Fig. 3 shows a view of the device of Fig. 2 look- 35 ing from the left.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing the face of the fixed jaw.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing engaging parts which eiect actu- The device has two relatively movable clamping or cracking jaws movable toward and away from each other. Preferably, means is provided to urge them into closed position with but slight 45 pressure, so that they may be opened readily to insert a nut merely for holding the nut to be cracked. Independent means is operative to move into engaging position with a suitable part to give a limited movement in a direction to close 50 the jaws with heavy pressure. This limited movement is called a step-movement, and preferably is repeated as required. The motivating device is actuated once for each step-movement, and successive actuations produce successive 55 step-movements, giving an incremental advance.

The preferred device has'a body member I0 providing a tubular handle II at one end and a jaw member I2 at the other. The jaw member is shown alined with the opening of the tubular handle II and spaced from it. The body member has a yoke position I3 into which the article to be cracked ts whenit bears against the jaw member I2. A movable jaw member I4 is'carried on the end of a plunger-shaft I5 which is slidable in the tubular handle II, preferably against a coiled compression spring IB. A threaded cap I'I is shown closing vthe end of the tubular handle I I, as'zan abutment for the spring I6. The spring I6 gives sufficient pressure to move the jaws in a closing direction simply to hold a nut. zThe spring is suiciently light to` permit opening the jaws by slight hand pressure to insert a nut. The face of the jaws I2 and I4 may be made as desired. Each jaw is shown with a. concave face to aid in holding a nut. In addition jaw I2 has a diametrical groove I8 into which the ridges of certain nuts may be placed.

Means is provided to engage the plunger I5 to move it with heavy pressure to crack the nut. The character of said means is such as to be cooperative with certain structure associated with the plunger I5 for the desired ends. In the present form the plunger is provided with a series of obstructions or parts which may be engaged one at a time to move the shaft. Since the plunger shaft I5 as shown is round, and free to rotate in the hollow handle II, the obstructions are circumferential. By cutting into the shaft, a series of annular grooves are formed, resembling the bottoms of partially nested cones. These provide a series of notches 2Il and teeth 2| to provide a ratchet-like surface. The spacing of the teeth rdetermines thelength of the stepmovement or the increment of motion. The increments may be equal or unequal. At the jaw 4o end, the increments are shown larger than at the other end. The larger increments are used where the nut is large, but when the nut or fragment of a nut is small, smaller increments 22 are used to avoid crushing after cracking.

To engage the teeth a pawl 25 moves into engaging position with a tooth 2|. The pawl is then moved to push the plunger jaw onto the nut. If the nut is not cracked or insuiiic'iently cracked, the pawl is moved back to pick up one or more teeth, and the construction may be varied to limit the number of teeth to one or more.

Pivoted into the body member I0 is a complementary handle 26. Handle 26 and handlev II 55 -shoWn' in Fig. 2.

are held in the hand for squeezing. A pivot 21 passes through spaced parallel projecting ears 28 of the body. The handle 26 is biased to open position by a suitable spring, such as spring Wire 29 riding in holes in the bosses 36 and 3l located respectively on the body l0 and the handle 26. Handle 26 carries pawl 25, which is pivoted at 32 near the swinging end of the handle 26. The pawl is resiliently mounted with respect to the handle. Since thev pawl is of rigid structure, rather than being of resilient material, a small spring 33 is set into the handle to urge the pawl' 25 away from the handle 26 and hence toward handle Il. The latter is recessed at 34 (Fig. 2)

for the point 35 of the pawl 25 to enter anden4 .gage the series of teeth 22.

is normally moved away from handle I l by spring 29, pawl 25 is out of engagement Withitheft'eeth. Thus the plunger isl free to slide in the handle against spring I6.

' Afterthe plunger! 5has been given 4a full stroke to` the;` limit permitted-5. by.' the'. pawl the handle 26:may;'be;moved' todrawrthepawl back along the ratchet-like teeth. 22. A's4 illustrated the handle may. bev movedpart Way back to pick up one tooth,.or.all-the Way back, picking up two teeth., The. device may readily; be constructed to varyY the length of. the stroke,.and themaximum number. of teeth; picked up ina normal return.

In'V operating then device to crack a nut, for example the nut N inFig. vl, the nut is inserted by.- pushing, they plunger fromdotted-line position tofull line position; rlhen the-handleZG is moved fromitsnormal position shown, to'the position It will be observed in Fig. 1 thatpawl 25. Willpickup the sixth. tooth, and in Fig. 2 thatit still. engages :the -sixth tooth. Itcan When the handle 26- therefore be seen that if the plunger remains in the position of Fig. 2, the paWl can be partly retracted to engage the seventh tooth, or further retracted to engage the eighth tooth. Thus the user may effect a short stroke or double that short stroke in the next squeeze of the handles 26 and H.

The paWl and ratchet device has been shown only in one relation, that is, the ratchet is moved by the pawl, but` it is to beunderstoodthat this arrangement may be reversed'in'modications of the structure.

The device may be modified in numerous respects Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim: Y

A device for cracking nuts and like operations, comprising. a pair of pivoted handle members arrangedto be squeezed together by a hand, a spring.' tending. to move. said. handle members apart; oneoffsaidhandle members being hollow, a: plunger. slidabley in said. hollowhandle, a' springl tending to move said plunger out of the handle, a series of` teeth. onv said. plunger, ajaw on the end' of 1 said. plunger, `an extensiontofv saidhollow handle member terminatinginia:jawfopposed to the jawon the plunger,l aresiliently movable pawl pivoted' tol the` other handle member andmovable therewith intorandoutfoi engagement with s'aid series of teeth,.and1.iur.ther movable when engaging a.tooth-toY move the; plunger inadirection to close theaws',sind;` means on-the hollowhandle positioned to engageth'e pawllasit is positioned by. Wide open handlesandtoimove the pawl.` out of. engaging positionl with said teeth.

GEGR'GE J.. ITONN. 

